Hindustan Zinc’s ‘Sakhi’ Initiative Empowers Sakhi Lalita

UDAIPUR: Lalita Choudhary, a 30 year old house wife belongs to a lower middle class family staying in Gudli, Udaipur. Few years back, she and her family had to struggle a lot as her husband’s job was not sufficient to feed the family of five. To fulfill the needs and to meet day to day expenses, Lalita started working as an Akaal Rahat Worker where she used to get a 3 kg of wheat after the whole day labour. But she was unhappy as after putting so much hard work, her children’s education and other requirements still remained unattended.

Then she was approached by Hindustan Zinc through its women empowerment program in 2006 to join Self Help Group. She decided to give it a try and joined it that changed her life and this time it was a sustainable change.

Under the program, she was first imparted training on stitching and tailoring at sewing centre in her Kalika Mata Self Help Group. There, Lalita and other 20 women were trained for around 6 months on skill development.

After training, Lalita started working from home where she used to stitch clothes free of cost in order to enhance her skills. After seeing her work inspiration, one NGO approached her and offered the job of a Master Trainer in a 10 day tailoring program far from village. In her life, for the first time she went away from home for work which was actually a daring decision for her and her family to take up. But Hindustan Zinc’s Self Help Group Program had infused that courage into her to step forward and take up the given opportunity. It was a good learning experiencing for her and then and then with that confidence, in 2008, Lalita applied and got the job as a Master Trainer in Sewing Center program of Hindustan Zinc in Debari.

Things have changed for Lalita; she is now more confident, independent, socio-economically sound and most importantly has gained respect in her community and village.

She has completed 12 batches and has trained about 300 rural women. Lalita is now supporting her family financially while earning more than Rs 5000/- per month and with this money she is not only giving her children quality education but also has renovated her house that was pending for long time.

“I am training girls of my village in their summer vacations so that during the crisis they do not have to face problems as I did” – confirms confident Lalita.

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